Sorceries


Around midnight a sloop of exotic design tacks into the Harbor. The nameplate on the hull says "The Sun" in Thari, but she flies no flags and does not unload. Her captain tells the Harbor Master that he is waiting for Prince Bleys and passengers.

Paige arrives, bids Liam farewell with a chaste kiss after he loads her trunk on the sloop. She waves Van to join her and watches Miles drive the carriage and Liam back to Sommerset House.

Around dawn, the fleet begins to weigh anchor in order to make the tide. The fleet is large and does not move quickly.

Conner is there a little before dawn, travelling light with only a footlocker and a small case which he carries himself. While waiting to cast off he explores the ship clearly fascinated by the strange design.

With the light, Paige is on deck, sketching, specifically Folly.

Both passengers are boarded and crewmen stow their gear. The ship boasts 4 cabins and looks to be able to point very high into the wind, indeed. Captain Fearnought welcomes each on board, and generally stays belowdecks. The crew tells Conner that the ship can be sailed by two men, but they normally run watches of three.

About six bells of the Forenoon watch, a carriage arrives with trunks. They are quietly loaded aboard. Just before noon, another carriage arrives, this one carrying Fiona and Bleys. The sun is just peeking over the yardarm on proper ships, but unless this vessel raises her sheets like a junk or a barque, she's using triangular sails.

"Ah, Captain!," says Bleys. "I see you have met my daughter and my nephew. My sister, you know, of course." He looks around and approves of what he sees. "Cast us off in 15 minutes, Captain, we shall be leading the ruffians out there to more ruffian-friendly ports."

Fiona seems inclined to go belowdecks.

Paige smiles at her father and nods to Van. "Once we're underway, I'll help you with your Thari," she suggests. "I doubt you'll have to defend me from sea serpents on this trip."

Her focus is still on her sketching unless her Aunt or Father suggest otherwise.

The fleet has already begun moving, and The Sun works her way around the fleet. Bleys tells Conner and Paige that the first day's sail will be on Amber's seas, but starting tomorrow, the shifting begins. Unsurprisingly, the entire voyage will be in coastal waters.

There is a formal dinner aboard The Sun the first night. The three fleet captains come aboard and are served a variety of foods and coffees that may not have been aboard The Sun when she shipped out of Amber. They seem reasonably content, although you suspect that some of them wished that Amber had more in mind than a single round trip.

After the visitors are rowed back to their own ships, Bleys gathers everyone in his cabin to discuss the plans for the morning and the week. As he enters room, it is clear that something is wrong with one of the lanterns. It emits a great deal of smoke that is swirling around next to it unnaturally.

"Now pay close attention, all," says Bleys.

"That's where your grandmother will appear," says Fiona.

Soon the grey smoke swirls into three recognizable shapes, busts made of smoke, swirling slightly inside. Clarissa is clearly the central figure, an older woman with a rich voice.

"My darlings. Look who came to visit me!"

"Impressive." Conner murmurs as the figures appear but once he sees who they are his attention is drawn to the people beyond the affect.

Brita can't contain the joy that bursts forth upon seeing her mother [and brother] in the flames. She doesn't say anything yet (having been admonished to silence while Nanna Clarissa is conjuring), but she can't quite control a quick wave over Clarissa's shoulder. She also looks like she would jump through the flames if it were possible.

Conner's ever present smile becomes fuller and brighter as Brita waves then slides back to diplomat neutral as he looks over Clarissa and Ambrose.

Paige smiles at her cousins' appearances, her eyes searching Ambrose's not-face for... something, she's not even sure. She obviously waits to follow Troublemaker's lead with Grandmother.

Ambrose leans over and whispers in Brita's ear. [The words do not carry, and smoke-vision is not amenable to lip-reading. Sorry shipsiders...] "I don't recognize the young man. He's not my brother, is he?"

A surprised half laugh and a quick negative shake of her head, "No. He is mine," Brita whispers back, her pride in her brother beaming out of those few words. She doesn't turn from the fire, but whispers in an aside, "Your brother has a beard and is a little more brawny than my brainy brother."

Ambrose says only, "Ah," as he nods.

Clarissa does not react to the comment behind her, if she is aware of it at all.

Bleys nods, slowly. "Hello, Mother. As you can see, we are underway. I am afraid we've only informally met my nephew."

"Brita?" says Fiona, letting her daughter's name encapsulate all questions she might have.

Brita starts to say something in response, but Clarissa's introductions cut her off.

"Ambrose, your Aunt and Uncle, my children Fiona and Bleys." Ambrose bows. "Brita dear, speak to your mother. I won't have her thinking that you are just a shadow because you are suddenly too shy to speak."

Brita staunchly does not roll her eyes, but says "Mother. Brother. I am fine. Cousin Ambrose has ensured good care for my little aches and pains and it has been nice visiting with Nanna Clarissa." _Can I go home now?_

"Brother?" says Clarissa. "Oh, Fiona, you have been sorely remiss in keeping me up to date on family affairs."

Fiona looks grim, and both Conner and Paige realize that her temper is fraying. Bleys, who certainly also realizes it, hastily cuts in and says, "It's so easy to forget things when you only call us late at night, Mother. Brita, we'll be there to visit and bring you home as soon as possible."

Fiona squelches her temper and adds, "We miss you, darling," to Brita.

"Very much so." Conner adds warmly with one of his true smiles. Turning to Clarissa he adds. "It was nothing personal, Grandmother. I was not mentioned to a lot of people. I guess I'm just forgettable that way." He grins.

Paige fixes him with a questioning look. "Who are you again?" she asks quietly, the sparkle in her eyes giving her away.

Clarissa smiles indulgently.

Turning back to the smoke-images she curtseys, eyes down. "Grandmother, it's a pleasure," she says, always one to blur that line between pleasure and pain.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you, too, Paige. And the little ones, even if they're not really aware yet," Clarissa says.

Paige never flinches, at least not when she's expecting it. She merely beams with all the healthy expectant mother radiance she can muster.

[Paige]
"Brita, it's good to see you. You'll have to tell us all about your trip when we arrive," she says. We're coming, her eyes reassure the warrior-maiden.

Brita is frowning slightly and has a furrow in her brow that has grown as she followed the previous exchange and noted the reactions of her Mother and Brother. At Paige's unspoken reassurance, the furrow smooths out and a little smile returns.

[Paige's] smile brightens as she turns her head to regard Ambrose. "Cousin, I hadn't thought we would speak again, so soon. It's good to see you, too."

The smile is gone and the furrow is back on Brita's face.

Clarissa gives Ambrose a look, and he glances back at her, completely nonchalant, before responding to Paige. "Always a pleasure to renew our acquaintance, cousin. Have you many stops to make en route?"

Bleys says grandly, "A few. One mustn't disappoint the little people, nephew. We have responsibilities and your cousin Conner is a member of the Amber diplomatic corps. We'll be there presently. Duty before pleasure, I'm afraid."

"It can't be soon enough for me, nor for Brita and Ambrose. And where is Brennan, that charming young rogue?" Clarissa asks, peering into the smoky image to locate her missing grandson.

Beside her, Brita feels Ambrose tense a little.

Fiona says, "He has remained in Amber for the nonce, Mother. He will be joining us before the last stage of our journey."

"Ex-cellent!" Clarissa exclaims. "And were you able to extend my invitation to young Merlin?"

"He's traveling with his father at the moment, Grandmother," Paige explains. "I had thought we might contact him when we bring Brennan and Reid aboard."

"You may reassure him that we shall all be pleased to see him," Clarissa says, sounding as sincere as she can. "I hope to reintroduce him to dear Ambrose under calmer circumstances. And who is 'Reid'? Should I be so reckless as to hazard that he is the father of twins that you are expecting, dear?"

There are choking sounds behind Clarissa as Brita tries vainly to reconcile the thought of Master Reid and twins.

There are choking sounds in front of her too as Conner also stifles his reaction.

"No, Grandmother. That's another story for another time perhaps," Paige demurs. "Cousin Reid is Uncle Osric's son and more importantly Brita's tutor," she explains, turning to Brita's smoke-form.

"I remember hearing about Osric when your dear father and I were married," Clarissa says to Bleys and Fiona. "I didn't recall that he had a son."

"Neither did we," Fiona says, an odd gleam in her eye.

Clarissa gives her daughter an odd look through the smoke. "I look forward to welcoming him, then, and Merlin, and Brennan as well. I'm so glad he'll be joining us. I've missed him."

Beside her, Brita feels Ambrose tense again. Clarissa seems to feel it too. "I'm sure you two get along famously," she adds to her grandson.

Paige looks dubiously upon her grandmother's ideas. Perhaps too long in Shadow where such things did mold to your thoughts was addictive. Her smile for Ambrose didn't promise what Grandmother had, but support none the less.

Conner has nothing to add to this and merely watches.

"Come as quickly as you can, my dears. I'm so glad you left her education in the higher mysteries for me, Fiona. Brita and I will have so much to discuss while we wait for your arrival."

Everyone on the Shipside can almost hear Fiona's nostrils flaring, but Bleys speaks first. "Well, we shan't keep you then Mother. I look forward to seeing how your new star pupil does under your tutelage."

The image starts to fade, slowly.

"Brita? We'll be there soon. Hang on, darling."

"To a quick reunion," Paige offers a phantom glass in salute.

[Once the image has faded...]

Paige looks to Fiona and Bleys. "More and more people interested in my pregnancy of two weeks. It's beginning to concern me."

"Would either of you have Uncle Julian's Trump to hand?" she asks.

"Brennan needed to borrow mine so that he could get into and out of trouble with Daeon's fiery flowers," says Bleys. Fiona says merely, "Why?"

"Prudence. It would seem Grandmother is going to take an interest in her great-grandchildren," Paige says, her left hand unconsciously settling protectively about her stomach. "Uncle Julian suggested that their paternal grandmother also has interests in them, and I don't know near enough about her or the twins' father to make informed decisions or provide Grandmother with answers to questions that she's sure to ask."

"I think it would be better if Mother went unanswered and Julian remained uninvolved for the nonce," Fiona says. "Your father and I are more than sufficient to protect you here, and I defy any shadow-goddess to make trouble in my mother's realm."

"Yes, Aunt Fiona," Paige says with a nod. "I have no worries for my own protection, but it seems that Daeon's godhood, while of Shadow, is still part of his reality, and thus twins'."

"I suppose I have time enough," Paige surrenders.

"Yes we do." Conner smiles to show his support.


"Brita? We'll be there soon. Hang on, darling." Her mother's voice is the last thing Brita hears as the smoke from the brazier begins to break up and the image of her family begins to fade.

Clarissa turns back to her grandchildren. "You see, Brita? Your mother is on her way. And your brother, too. Such a handsome boy, that one. I'm sure he has many ladies vying for his attentions." To Brita she adds, "And I'm so glad that I'll have you as a student until then, Brita! I'm sure you'll make a brilliant sorceress. We'll start in the morning."

Brita smiles, "Maybe not brilliant, Nanna, but I hope to at least live up to the wonderful tutelage I'm sure I'll receive from you."

Ambrose says, "I'll be happy to assist in the lessons however I may."

"Tonight you can help by showing Brita to her chambers, Ambrose. Tomorrow, I'll put you to advanced lessons of your own, perhaps." The sorceress is already thinking of matters of the curriculum, it seems, for she takes a moment to add, "Good night."

"Good night, Grandmother," Ambrose replies, and offers Brita his arm.

"Good night, Nanna Clarissa." Brita places her hand on Ambroses forearm. "Lead on, Cousin Ambrose."

[Brita can talk to Ambrose if she likes, or we can advance to the next "morning".]

Brita is mainly quiet on the walk to her rooms. Her only real questions to Ambrose are "Were your first lessons from Nanna Clarissa difficult, Cousin Ambrose? What should I expect?" and "Does Castle Clarissa reconfigure itself at whim? Should I wait for someone to come get me in the morning?"

Ambrose takes the last question first. "I'll come for you. I don't know how much Grandmother is likely to reconfigure the place, but the symmetries aren't stable. Sometimes the way from A to B doesn't reverse to take you from B to A. I can find my way around with sorcery, and I've been told that I could do it with Pattern, but in your shoes, I think I'd wait for me."

Brita nods acceptance of that.

He adds, "As for the lessons, I suppose if you've learned Trump, you've had your fair share of hard learning. I think if you could master that, you could master sorcery. It's good that you haven't taken the Pattern yet. I think that will make it easier."

It's about at this time that Brita and Ambrose arrive at the chamber Brita will be sleeping in. "I'll be across the hall," he says, indicating another door visible from where they stand. "If you need anything, it's probably safe to come that far." He relinquishes her arm. "Good night, Brita."

"Good night, Cousin Ambrose." Brita gives him a smart half bow. "Thank you for the guidance." She then turns and enters the room to rest. If she can find something to sketch on, she spends a short time sketching Nanna Clarissa first and adding to her sketches of Ambrose before sucombing to the need for sleep.

The room is small, with tapestries on the wall. The tapestries have views of Castle Amber, but it's smaller than Brita remembers it being. Some of the towers aren't there, either.

There is a nightstand with a water pitcher and a wardrobe. The wardrobe has clothing in it, all of which looks like it would fit Brita and all of which looks almost identical to what she is currently wearing, except all in colors that would look absolutely smashing on a redhead.

There are no art supplies. Brita will need to ask for some.

She'll remember in the morning.

How nice, she thinks. Almost like home.


Brita awakes to light filtering in through a window that wasn't there last night. When she opens her door, she sees that Ambrose's door isn't quite where she thought it was last night. It is, however, open, and he looks up. "Grandmother said you'd be waking soon. Are you ready for breakfast and lessons?" He looks as if he thinks the one can scarcely prepare one for the other.

"Ready and hungry," Brita notes and follows Ambrose out.

Clarissa is sitting in a summery garden, contemplating a lush, purple, well-manicured jungle. She is dressed in a high-necked dress and sits beside a long table laden with food. She's sipping a fruit drink of some sort. It is very hot, but Clarissa seems not to notice.

There is as much food as Brita will eat.

...which might be even more than normal given her internalized nervousness about this whole sorcery thing.

[Lessons commence after breakfast.]

Clarissa draws herself up to her full height, some inches shorter than Brita. "First, my dear pupil, let us see what you need to unlearn. What is the Universe, and how do you know it? And no helping her, Ambrose, you scamp." She eyes her grandson mock-menacingly.

Brita looks to be contemplating the questions seriously. She glances around the garden. "The Universe here seems to be what you will it, Nanna. I have seen the same phenomenon when travelling with Reid. _My_ Universe is still somewhat small, though, what I can see and hear, touch and Feel... and not feel." Brita pauses and she seems to be looking inward. "I know that Asgard's Universe is a single tree and then I have seen Arden. I know that most places reflect the wills and desires and maybe even unconscious thoughts of those that are Real. I know that there is another place - maybe the back side of the Universe - where _Cleph_ took me at first." Brita spits out his name.

"The Universe," she says, "is the union of the sets 'you' and 'everything that is not you'. Shapeshifting is the art of transforming the self--You do know about shapeshifting, don't you my dear?"

"Yes, Nanna," Brita nods, "Uncle Loki is a shapeshifter." Brita's thoughts also turn to her Cousin Aisling, although she is not mentioned.

Clarissa nods. "I should like to meet him one day." She says absentmindedly.

Clarissa nods. "Sorcery is the art of transforming that which is not the self. They are complementary. Sorcery is often made easier by ritual or gestures or words, but in the end, it is an act of willpower. Raise your arm in the air." The last is clearly a command.

Brita's arm goes up as does an eyebrow.

"So, why did your arm go up? It was an act of will on your part to defy gravity. You willed a thing to happen in defiance of the law of gravity and it did. That is the key to sorcery. The principle for bridging two places by piercing the veil is the same. You defy the universal principle of Space and make two places adjacent when they are not.

"That is the basis for sorcery. The details of practical application and the techniques to reach the right mind-set to use them are but extensions of this simple piece of knowledge. Ambrose, can you show your cousin how to summon and use a filmy? That will be your laboratory for today, Granddaughter."

"Of course, Grandmother."

"Oh, and Brita, dear. It's good that you have noticed the effect of reality on the Universe, but there is no back side to it."

Brita accepts the correction silently and awaits instruction from Ambrose.

As they leave the garden, Brita notes that it seems to be midafternoon, and she feels as if she has been in a much longer lecture with Grandmother than she realized. As she thinks back over what Clarissa told her, it seems to cover the entirety of the fundementals of sorcery, including details of how one manipulated space. She recalls a promise, without words, from Clarissa that Brita would traverse space on her own within the week.

"Grandmother teaches that way," Ambrose says. "It startled me quite a bit the first time, too."

"Her style would have been much appreaciated at the Coronation," Brita notes. "It was a bit long." _and tedious_

Ambrose leads you outside and along a pier or causeway out over a vast lake or sea, calm as a mirror. He stops where you can still see Castle Clarissa. Somewhere in that direction, Brita can hear the neighing of horses. She smells their blood, as well.

Normal horses? How quaint.

"Now, did Grandmother teach you how to summon a filmy? Let me summon one first, then you can try. Watch what I do, with your Sorcerer's Eye."

Brita knows what he means, and knows somehow that she can do it. She can see Sorcery, and watch him in a way that those without the Art cannot. She watches him as he summons the thing, a mostly insentient floating film, and thinks she could do so herself.

"Want to try? Summoning's the easy part. Getting it to take you where you want is harder." He's grinning.

Game for anything, Brita grins back and moves to mimic Ambrose's Art of Summoning a Filmy. Her methods take into account the grace of the movements and the force of the power behind it, almost like what she feels when painting Trumps...

Brita meets massive resistance. Even with her massive strength and determination, her efforts meet with failure.

Ambrose looks at her. "Something you're doing is pulling huge amounts of order into the casting. They fight everything you're putting into it. If you can stop whatever you're doing that's order-related, you should get it. The form is perfect, and the filmy is here, it just can't stand the order.

Brita has cocked her head to the side considering....Order... Chaos...

"On my more whimsical days, I tend to wonder if filmies aren't the remnants left behind when we part the veil." He's smiling.

"Let's try it again. This time, try not to focus on ordered things. We're trying to break order's rules here. It should be an exercise in finesse."

"Finesse is not my strong suit," Brita notes as she again begins the motions. This time, she draws from that other side of her brain, the part where her Berserker is chained up. She remembers Uncle Loki's tricks and throws a little of him into the mix... Her Berserker might not be content with just one filmy, though...

This time it's much smoother. It doesn't feel at all like the power Brita uses to draw trumps, but more like she's bypassing or dampening that power and calling upon something more fundamental. It's like the prickly hairs that rise on the back of her neck when she watches Uncle Loki shift in front of her. She looks down. The filmy is before her.

"Excellent!" says Ambrose, stepping on and gesturing for her to do so as well. He then exercises his power again and the filmy glides out over the still, cool lake. After they leave the bridge behind them Ambrose turns to her. "Can you swim?" he asks.

"Yes," Brita says simply and mentally prepares to be dumped in a lake of unknown temperature.

"So can I. See what you can get the filmy to do."

Brita nods and looks around. A far shore of the lake becons as does a tower behind them. Knowing that looking at the tower too long might make her ill enough to lose the filmy, Brita turns back to the far shore and prepares. She closes her eyes for a moment and reviews the not-memories from the lesson with Nanna Clarissa. She then opens her eyes and pulls from her Berserker to stretch the filmy towards the shore.

The filmy shudders and begins to move towards the shore. The sides of the strip of black gauzy nothingness become thin and bowed and Ambrose says "no!" just as Brita hears a snapping sound like a rubber band. She's thrown backwards and she feels arms grabbing her.

Brita finds herself dangling by her armpits with her legs in chilly water up to her knees. "I've got you," says Ambrose. "They're very literal. And they'll try to please you. Most of the work of learning to be a sorcerer is learning how not to cast spells that you don't want." He heaves and grunts, and lifts Brita out of the water. Ambrose is hanging in mid-air, holding Brita above the lake's surface, a surface still rippling from her partial dunking.

"Now, if you'd summon another one?"

[Is Brita still being held for this?]

[yes, or else swimming. Ambrose chooses "dangling" for you.]

Brita attempts to summon another filmy, going through the motions again, although they are somewhat more subdued given the fact she's being held under the arms.

[assuming she gets one]
"So," Brita says with a wry grin, "can this Sorcery help dry off my clothes?" She then shifts to directing the filmy towards the far shore in a gentle drift.

He thinks for a moment. "Sorcery can do anything, if the correct principle is found to violate and the sorcerer knows the ways of the principle. If you had a thermal principle, you could warm your pants, speeding drying. Or you could freeze them, and then break the water out of them. If you knew how to violate the principles of time and entropy, you could move your pants backwards in time until before they were wet.

"There are few limits, except those you impose yourself by either lack of knowledge, lack of power, or intentional restraint. In exceptionally weak places, it is supposed to be unsafe to Part the Veil, because the lack of order will cause the two locales to collapse into each other." Brita realizes that she knows this, but does not recall the lesson.

[if she had gotten to walk the pattern rather than getting kindnapped, there would be a nice pair of pants, just her size, abandoned by the side of the lake...]

[If wishes were patterns, your pants would be dried?]

The filmy approaches the shore. Brita notices that the air is just a bit less oppressively warm. It reminds her of the nicer parts of the end of summer.

[obviously not Houston ;)]

[End of Summer. You know. Mid January.]

When the shore is below them, Brita directs the filmy slowly downward in a gentle glide. When the filmy is close enough, she will simply hop off to the ground below. She turns back to Ambrose and the filmy. She bows slightly and offers a "Thank you," her eyes focused on the filmy under Ambrose's feet. She glances up at Ambrose, "Is there anything we can do to continue the Laboratory on the ground? I would welcome a chance to stretch my legs and work my knee." She gestures towards the shore behind her. "A walk around the lake might be rejuvinating."

He nods. "That's fine. In Uxmal and Amber, one can be assured that it is possible to walk around a lake and return to where one started. In Clarissa, space is not necessarily symmetric. Not only is it unclear where we might end up if we walk widdershins around the lake, it is not necessarily the case that we can turn to the deosil to return. However, I suspect that when Grandmother wants us back, we will be almost there."

"Or we can summon a filmy to get us back if need be," Brita notes with a wink at Ambrose.

"How is your leg? Do you need more medical attention?"

"No." Brita's first response is quick. Then, "No, I am fine. I just need to stretch it a little bit."

Brita starts out along the shore. Her long strides made even longer in an attempt to stretch her sore knee. Her hands end up in her pockets, one hand clutched around a small pack of cards.

Ambrose walks beside her, pointing out natural features. After some minutes, they reach the top of rise and Brita sees a long, gentle slope. In the far distance, Brita sees what looks like a camp or the outskirts of a town.

"That's where the Legions are, I think. I've seen it before, but I've never been able to go there from anyplace like here." A wind comes off the lake and blows across them, cooler than Brita expects. It is difficult to concentrate on the shore as it curves away.

Brita cocks her head to one side. "Legions of what and for what?"

She walks a little ways away from the shore towards the Legions. "Could a filmy take us there?"

"The Bronze Legions. Her more traditional military force. I don't think we could get there on a filmy. I think it's asymptotic. More importantly, Grandmother doesn't want us to. Be glad. The Legions aren't as bad as the grackleflints, but they're not good.

"Try this. Walk 10 paces towards them, down the hill. Then turn back and look at me."

Brita moves down the hill, noting the size and layout of the forces she can see while she does so. She then turns and looks back at Ambrose.

He's about half a pace behind her, and immediately behind him is a full and thick wood that they did not walk through to get to this hilltop. "Shall we head back?"

"Hmf. Must be nice to be able to mold reality to one's will." Brita says to the air. To Ambrose, she says, "Yes, let us head back. Maybe dinner is ready."

Ambrose summons a filmy and the two of them head back, following a coastline that does not match Brita's recollection of the way she came. "This isn't really sorcery, but it's pretty important to concentrate on where you want to get to." Brita thinks it's not quite like the way Master Reid shifted shadows, either. It reminds her of the way things changed around Daeon's mother.

The castle heaves into sight, sitting on a tall, tree-covered hill. It reminds Brita somewhat of Castle Amber on Kolvir, on a miniature scale. The trees are a riot of Brown and Red and Gold.

Dinner is being prepared just as they arrive, although Brita has time to change out of her wet clothes.

"Good Evening, Dears. How was your day out?" Clarissa beams at them, then starts cutting the meat.

"It was entertaining, Nanna Clarissa," Brita notes as she picks up a piece of meat over Clarissa's shoulder. "Ambrose has quick reflexes, otherwise you might be treating me for the ague."

"That sounds dreadful, dear. I'll have to do something about the lake." Clarissa frowns for a moment, then brightens with a smile. "That should solve the problem. How did the lessons go, apart from highlighting dear Ambrose's quick reaction time?"

Ambrose finishes filling his plate before he answers. "Brita did quite well for a first-time student, Grandmother. She summoned a filmy, and she controlled one briefly. She also saw through her Third Eye."

"I did?," Brita thinks back over the day. "Oh, yeah, I guess I did. Ambrose is a good laboratory partner." Brita grins at Ambrose as she piles a plate high. "How was your day, Nanna Clarissa?"

"Lovely! I scried to see when we could expect your mother, and she's well on her way." Clarissa sounds pleased. To Ambrose she adds, "I'm so glad they'll be bringing dear Brennan; I've so looked forward to seeing my two grandsons meet at last. Won't that be marvellous?"

"Of course, Grandmother," Ambrose replies, with a bit of a strained smile.


After days at sea with no further exciting interruptions from Clarissa, Bleys spreads the word that the fleet will reach port the next morning. "We'll try to sail on the evening tide, but that depends on our friends. You'll have half a day ashore, at least, if you want it."

The Sun docks first and a port official comes aboard. The dickering is intense and amusing, but eventually, The Sun and her fleet are allowed use of the port and the captain turns over a carefully counted bag of coins to the port official, as well as certain luxury goods to make his job of evaluating the cargoes easier.

The city is composed of brown wood-and brick buildings ringing the port and fields growing foodstuffs along a lush riverbank. You suspect that Bleys has brought the fleet to a more prosperous port than they came from.

Bleys addresses his daughter and nephew. "It's high summer here, and the midday sun is brutal. These people won't work then, if they don't have to. Fiona and I have business to attend to. Don't get into trouble, and be back at The Sun by sunset. We'll sail at moonrise."

Paige nods, lifts a small leather satchel with pencils and her sketch book to her shoulder. Van is quick to follow as she heads for the gangplank. She's dressed in a light linen sundress with open sandals. Her hair is tied back loosely with a simple scarf to protect her from the sun as well as appeal to the modesty she expects of the culture. She looks back over her shoulder at Conner, "Shopping cousin? I thought to wander the market and perhaps take a swim later. Company would be welcome, but not necessary."

Conner nods a yes to her. "I think sticking together is wise. Besides Uncle told you not to get into trouble, and that's a bad omen if I ever heard one." He chuckles. Conner is dressed more or less as he was only a stripped down version in a thin white shirt and tan pants to match topped with a tricorn hat also in white.

The day is sweltering and those few natives who have not retreated from the midday sun are in tented market stalls or covered bazaars. Everyone seems to be sipping fruit juice from wooden mugs. Goods are diverse and plentiful and it reminds Paige of parts of Heerat.

"I should've considered how close this Shadow must've been to Heerat," Paige comments. "It kinda makes sense that Troublemaker wasn't too far away when Martin and I went looking for him."

Before Conner and Paige can get very far on their explorations, they notice that someone seems to be following them.

Conner stops a piece of bright cloth in one the stalls and motions Paige over to take a look. "A tail already?" Conner comments. "These people work fast."

Paige slides on the sunglasses she purchased earlier from a stall, knowing that she over paid for them. She turns to look back at Conner, her eyes sliding past him to their shadow. She flips her hair as if asking her cousin how he likes the glasses, "Of course, it's probably one of the endearing traits that led Father to recruit here." The smile plastered on her face is common enough.

She takes a moment to get the best look she can at the tail without staring. She also scans the crowd for a partner or any familiar faces.

She slips her arm through Conners and makes to begin walking again, her lips hidden to the person following, "Opinons? Options? If I were competant at this sort of thing, I'd have someone to swap off with in case I was made, or to try and prevent the same."

"I shall follow your lead, I think." Conner comments picking up a mirror from a stall they are passing and giving the same look around Paige did in the guise of preening before it. "The last time I dealt with something like this, it did not go well." He chuckles.

[Paige]
"Of course, they haven't proven themselves competant, yet."

"Van," she says to the man carrying a parcel for her. "I fear we're being watched, but I'd like to know who and why, understood?"

Van nods, hands his parcel to Conner, and drifts off down a small alleyway as Paige and Conner continue along. A few minutes later, Van catches up with them. "She's back here, unconscious." He leads them back to a dead end in one of the markets, a covered cul-de-sac made of sheets. On the ground is a woman's body, wearing native clothes and a veil. "She shouldn't be out long, my lady."

"Watch the alleyway," Paige suggests, kneeling at the woman's side. First she pulls back the veil and then she pats the woman down for weapons.

"Recognize her Connie? Or anything?" Paige asks.

Conner simply stares for several moments. "I would introduce Thalia of Gateway but as you can see she's unconscious right now." He says clearly half stunned.

As Conner recognizes her and Paige tries to place her, she stops frisking her cousin's lover. Paige shakes her gently, "Thalia, Thalia?"

She wakes with a small groan, tenses, and for a moment Paige thinks she may swing at her. Seeing Conner, she stops. Thalia rubs her head. "Conner. That's the second time that I've seen you on waking up after being struck unconscious." She looks somewhat perturbed. "I guess I'm not good at following people."

"We're just better at noticing being followed than average." Conner smiles down at her. "Quite frankly we're more interested in why you decided to follow than critiquing your skill at it."

"Actually, I'm a bit interested in how, also," Paige adds. She offers a hand to help Thalia sit up, slowly.

"But my first question is why you couldn't approach us openly?"

"I was waiting to find Lord Conner alone, Lady Paige." She looks up into Paige's eyes. "I'm not supposed to be here."

"Indeed you are not." Conner smiles though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "But there are worse places to be. Why did you come?"

"It was where the only ship that I could buy passage on was going. Your uncle's pirates are at least honest pirates. They charged quite a bit for 'no questions asked, no tales told', but they kept it from you."

"If you wish some privacy?" Paige trails off, her gaze looking toward Van at the alleyway's entrance. She'd obviously not keen on leaving them alone, but not unreasonable, either.

"Thank you Paige." Conner nods. "Perhaps you could help Van keep watch for a moment."

Paige begins to say something, but stops herself, resisting the impules to nod once, abruptly. She goes to join Van.

[Thalia] hesitates for a moment. "Do you know anything about Harga'rel business connections in this shadow?"

"No I do not." Conner replies. "I take it you are about to tell me about them?"

She shakes her head. "I just got here. He's rumored to have some contacts that are linked to Bleys, so this would be a logical place." She smiles. "Come back in a week or two and I'll tell you about them then.

"The Land of Peace is ironically named." Conner replies. "I suspect I'll return in a week or two to attend your funeral. How do you intend to proceed here?" He asks concerned.

She looks touched. "I'll improvise. I am not without my resources. Given the options of Amber, here, or going with you, I'd choose Gateway, but here is the next best choice."

"Just don't try to tail someone again." Conner chuckles. "Was there a particular reason you sought me out?" He asks helping her up.

She looks a bit annoyed at the question. "Because you're my lover and I didn't want you to worry about me when I was reported missing in Amber. I probably should've just sent a note to the ship."

"Probably." Conner smiles. "But I'm touched you took the risk just to reassure me. Be careful out there, all right. I'd rather have you than any amount of information."

From here a good bye kiss and her slipping off will be sufficent.

She gives him a good bye kiss and she slips between two hanging sheets into a tent-like stall.


[Paige] goes to join Van. "What's the word, dear?" she asks kissing him on the cheek innocently.

"Seems that Conner's one of those men with a woman in every port," she explains.

"I did not recognize her," says Van, unapologetically.

"Thalia of Gateway, beloved of Conner. Of course, at the moment, you haven't seen her," Paige explains, giving the street a once over. "Not unless my cousin says he did," she says. "And I doubt that he will."

He nods. "We should be more careful. It would have been easy to tail us by tailing her. She might have attracted attention."

"Agreed. We'll see what my cousin has to say about it and go from there. You have a suggestion?"

"Should I go look for additional people who are too interested in your business, Lady?

"Conner's supposedly good in close-quarters, and I'm no slouch, even if I'm not Lilly. I'd expect we can handle any local talent," Paige considers.

"Yes, see what you can see," Paige decides. "Back in two bells? Say the beach we passed near the mosque? I'd like to take a dip before we go shipboard again."

"No, my Lady. Back in 10 minutes and you stay here. I cannot risk your safety for two bells."

"You think I'd get used to this eventually," she says. She lifts her sun dress, exposing most of a tanned thigh and produces a blade of Heerat make. Reversing the hilt in her hand so the blade lies along her wrist and forearm, mostly concealed, she nods.

"Go, now."

He does not say anything else, but slips between two hanging sheets and into a tent-like stall.

Paige turns to watch Conner and Thalia for a moment before returning to her vigil at the alley's entrance.

Paige turns just as Thalia kisses Conner, then she slips away.


Back to the logs

Last modified: 7 December 2003